'Ex-Gay' Leader Alan Chambers Has 'Leslie' Attractions: VIDEO

Alan Chambers head of the 'ex-gay' Exodus International organization, talked to OWN's Lisa Ling about his own sexual attraction - he says he can't say he's heterosexual but can't say he's gay. Chambers recently radically changed his position regarding 'reparative therapy', and now opposes it.

“I have to be honest and say of course I have temptations, of course I have attractions related to the same sex. But for over 15 years since I've been in a relationship with Leslie my attraction has been toward her. My devotion has been toward her. … She is the object of my desire. She is the object of my affection. I wouldn't choose anything or anyone else but her. So, am I heterosexual? I don't know. I'm not gay. I have Leslie attractions.”

Comments

Is a "leslie" attraction the same as when I tried to convince myself at 16 I was bi-sexual? Leslie better start separating her DVD collection....

Posted by: Michaelandfred | Aug 22, 2012 9:53:19 AM

Sad.

Posted by: ichabod | Aug 22, 2012 9:56:18 AM

I couldn't finish it.
This is so sad...so pathetically sad, and it infuriates that so many out there will buy his self loating, lie-filled crap. In the end, this is nothing more than some deep need by him to feel accepted by a group. In this case, the straight sexual majority. What a sham, and what a horrible individual.

Posted by: Mike | Aug 22, 2012 9:56:22 AM

And so it goes... the gays can change, right?

Why does no interviewer ever flip this and ask a straight person if they could try, really, really hard, to be gay? Or if they could have "Lesley" love for a man?

They shown their own prejudices by not asking; even Lisa Ling.

Posted by: Pete N SFO | Aug 22, 2012 9:57:26 AM

Poor Leslie... must be dumber than a brick.

Posted by: Chopsie | Aug 22, 2012 10:00:19 AM

Sad. It must be so hard for him. It hurts to know that one man would die without accepting and loving himself.

What happened to the "good old days" when 'reparative therapy' could include electroconvulsive therary;-)

BTW - what's wrong with heterosexual porn - at least the hard core variety? It certainly helped me to know I was gay.

Posted by: Diogenes Arktos | Aug 22, 2012 10:31:39 AM

I think we should respect the fact that he has publicly admitted that the program is flawed. Though....one hour w/ me and Leslie who. ;)

Posted by: Marco P | Aug 22, 2012 10:40:19 AM

I think you guys are all missing the point. How about the progress that he's come out AGAINST reparative therapy? That's a HUGE step forward! And I think that this is a very important line: "Jesus didn't say, 'Come to me and I'll make you straight.' He said, 'Come to me.'" I wish more people in the church could realize that. Sure, Alan Chambers may be a conflicted person, and he has some distance to come yet. But this is a good thing here.

I know it's much easier to call him a fraud and a liar and see how we can pick him apart and beat him down, but sometimes that doesn't do the most good.

Posted by: Jon Mark | Aug 22, 2012 10:40:55 AM

Good for him. He is trying to live a life that is consistent with his faith in God and belief in the Bible. While I don't support any rightwing political agenda that such a group may be inclined to adopt, I do support the right of people to seek support to live in a manner that is consistent with their faith in God and the Bible.

Posted by: Javier | Aug 22, 2012 10:43:13 AM

That sad, pathetic man, desperately trying to believe that he is "attracted" to Leslie when deep in the honest recesses of his heart, he is not.

@JAVIER Give me a break! This man is not living according to his "faith in God and the Bible". Oh, heavens no! That man is living a lie, a sad, torturous, agonizing lie and, in fact, mentally abusing the poor woman who plays the role in his sick, twisted, jesuswillsaveme fantasy.

You are probably a typical, self-loathing, clueless, self-denying, "homosexual" troll who might better use its time over the the FRC web-site or maybe going over and hanging out with some of its GoProud girlfriends.

I agree with Jon Mark and Javier. These people in these ministries have been on a gay-hate agenda for so long, we no longer trust them when one of them lays down his weapons and says we're right about reparative therapy. That's a HUGE step.

He's just honestly telling his own story -- and I believe our freedom agenda INCLUDES people who, for whatever reason, want to live their lives differently from us.

My problem with Exodus has been their insistence that "anyone can change" -- doing so without defining "change," allowing people to assume sexual orientation change. Alan is now under fire from fellow conservatives. They are running from him like he's got the plague.

Let's give credit where it's due. We don't have to agree with this theology. We can even oppose it and pronounce it dangerous. But I have to salute someone who goes against his own right wing allies to tell the truth.

I'm marrying my man in two weeks; somebody I'm compatible with in EVERY way. I saw Chambers in person, many years ago, and I came to the conclusion back then that his life was a cautionary tale about mindless subservience to religious doctrine. I don't have the energy to care about his sad life--because he's done too much damage to young minds.

Posted by: J.M. | Aug 22, 2012 12:26:35 PM

Translation: You're at least bi-sexual and currently are in a committed relationship with a woman.